Limited Edition Alpha

About this set

Game

Magic: The Gathering

Released

August 1993

Size

The first Magic expansion

Featured here

5 cards

Alpha is the first Magic set ever printed. It introduced the five colors, the mana system, and instant-speed spells that can be cast in response to others.

Its print run was small compared with later sets, and it includes cards that later became legendary, such as Black Lotus. Alpha cards are easy to recognize by their corners, which are rounder than on later printings.

For a reader of the game's history, Alpha is the place where rules and card types were still being invented, so many cards feel experimental and a little rough around the edges.

What to look for in this set

How to explore this set

Alpha is best read as a first draft of Magic. The rules, the card types and even the wording were still being tested, so many cards feel experimental.

Start with three cards, each teaching a different lesson.

• Llanowar Elves, an Elf Druid, shows that mana can come from a creature and not only from lands.
• Lightning Bolt shows how a cheap instant can be useful in many situations.
• Counterspell shows how one spell can answer another.

Then look at Serra Angel for stacked keywords and Black Lotus for a card that breaks the normal pace of mana. When you open them, check the corners, which are rounder than on later printings, and the type line. Alpha has no set symbol, and it used older labels such as Summon and Interrupt. Our guide to reading a trading card gives the habits to apply.

What changed after it

Alpha did not stay alone for long. Beta and Unlimited followed in the same year, fixing small problems and printing the game in larger amounts. The old labels were simplified: Summon became Creature, and Interrupt was folded into Instant. The formal stack came later.

The design ideas also kept going. Cheap burn, mana creatures and flyers all returned in later sets, and several Alpha cards were reprinted in more than one frame. Black Lotus is different, because it is on the Reserved List, a policy that dates to 1996 and says certain older cards will not be reprinted. From there Magic moved to a new card frame with Eighth Edition in 2003 and a guild-focused set in Ravnica: City of Guilds in 2005.

Questions readers ask

Do I need an original Alpha card to learn from it?

No. Several of its best-known cards have been reprinted, so you can compare versions across eras. Our Alpha deep dive has more ideas.

How do I recognize an Alpha card?

Look at the corners first. They are rounder than on later printings. The older type labels are another clue.

Does this site list prices or values?

No. Prices change often and depend on the printing and condition, so we leave them out and focus on what the set is and how to recognize its cards.

Mechanics you will see

• Mana & the Five Colors The resource system and the color pie behind every deck.
• Instants & the Stack How spells can be cast in response to each other.
• Flying A creature that can only be blocked by creatures with flying or reach.